Chief arrested for fraud

The Zambrama Chief at the Ga West Municipal Assembly has been arrested by the police for allegedly defrauding a mobile money merchant of GH¢7,000. Nana Ali, 31, who was reported to have advertised himself of his spiritual prowess on the television and youtube, allegedly took the money from his victim, Samuel Akuffo Abrokwa, 26, to double it for him. A total of 16 bundles of fake dollars amounting to 160,000 dollars have been retrieved from the victim as exhibit. The suspect is currently in the custody of the police assisting in investigations, the Amasaman Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent of Police Francis Yiribaare, told the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday. He said the complainant reported the incident to the command stating that in early April, he(victim) saw Nana Ali on television and other networks advertising that he can double money. Chief Supt Yiribaare said Abrokwa contacted the suspect, who asked him (victim) to bring GH¢3,000 for money purification. The police commander said the complainant told the police the two met at the suspect’s shrine at Abloma where he gave GH¢3,000 to the Nana Ali. He said at the shrine, he (suspect) did some rituals and asked his victim to dip his hands in a box and he found dollars. Chief Supt Yirebaare indicated that the suspect asked Abrokwa to put the money back into the box since there was a problem. He said Nana Ali asked him to bring GH¢4,000 for further spiritual cleansing which he did. Chief Supt Yirebaare said the suspect later asked his victim to go to and bath in the sea, and afterwards called Nana Ali on his mobile phone, but to no avail. The Police Commander said Abrokwa later spoke with the suspect on mobile phone, and told him that he was going to his shrine for the dollars, but he was warned by Nana Ali that he was doing that at his own risk. Chief Supt Yiribaare said victim went to the shrine for the dollars in the box, but realised they were fake. The police commander said victim reported the case to the police, and suspect was arrested when he arrived at the police station in the company of his lawyer. Chief Supt Yiribaare said suspect in his caution statement admitted the offence, stating that he did not take any money from the victim, but he assisted him spiritually.